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- Latest news item posted on 07/28/2010 at 01:40 PM
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Housing discrimination in S. Fla. is still a problem
(NORTH LAUDERDALE, Fla., July 27, 2010)
-- Terri Milsap wanted the best for her two sons. So the single mom tried to find a safe, beautiful place for them to live. While driving on the turnpike one day she says she saw the Sanctuary Cove complex in North Lauderdale and immediately fell in love.
"Wow that's nice. That would be nice," said Milsap. "Its breath taking."
But, she said when she inquired at the rental office they told her she would have to pay extra money to rent a three bedroom, beyond what her two bedroom section 8 voucher would cover.
"How can you do that? They would allow a married couple, a gay couple, they would allow three 18-year-olds to occupy that same two bedroom," recalled Milsap. "But they would not let a single mother and her two children occupy that same two bedroom. So where's the logic in that?"
FULL STORY at cbs4.com
HUD charges Chicago architect with failure to build accessible units
(WASHINGTON, July 26, 2010)
-- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced that it is charging a Chicago developer and architect with housing discrimination for designing and constructing apartments that fail to meet the accessibility requirements of the Fair Housing Act. HUD's charge contends that Hector Castillo, Hector Castillo Architects, Inc., and 914 W. Hubbard, Inc. is inaccessible to persons with disabilities in several ways, including having doorways that are too narrow, and kitchens and bathrooms that do not contain adequate maneuvering space.
The Fair Housing Act requires that multifamily housing built for first occupancy after March 13, 1991 contain accessible features for persons with disabilities. Requirements include accessible common areas, bathrooms and kitchens, as well as wider doors and environmental controls that can be reached by persons who use wheelchairs. The failure to include these features violates the Fair Housing Act and makes the property difficult or impossible to use by persons with disabilities.
HUD files this charge on the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“Architects, builders and developers have had legal responsibilities under the Fair Housing Act for over two decades. HUD will enforce the law to create more housing opportunities for people with disabilities,” said John Trasviña, Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. “The joint goals of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Fair Housing Act--to provide access at home, at work, and in public --are unmet if public areas are accessible but homes are not.”
FULL STORY at hud.gov
Pregnant woman denied loans
(LEWISVILLE, TX , July 23, 2010)
-- There's nothing more American than the idea of having a family and buying a home. But growing families have a growing concern tonight. These days there are several things that stop someone from getting a home loan: bad credit or no down payment. But what about a bun in the oven?
Deandree Simpson- Walker, 26, runs a beauty shop in Lewisville with her husband Marion who is a barber.
" My wife is actually due in October so we're pretty excited about that," said Expectant Father Marion Walker.
Deandree says once she has the baby she'll be back on the job.
" I plan on taking the average time, six weeks, but pretty much I'm coming back to work," said Expectant Mother Deandre Simpson- Walker.
FULL STORY at the33tv.com
HUD charge Ohio landlords with discriminating against Hispanic woman
(WASHINGTON, July 21, 2010)
-- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced that it has charged two Cleveland-area landlords with violating the Fair Housing Act for allegedly refusing to rent a house to a woman because she is Hispanic.Furthermore, HUD contends that Kathy Parker and Deryl Gibson, the African- American owners of the Warrensville, Ohio, house asked the woman, "Why do you want to live in a black neighborhood," and informed her that she might not feel comfortable there.
The Fair Housing Act prohibits housing discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, and disability, including discouraging a person from living in a neighborhood.
"A property owner, and in this case a real estate agent, does not have the right to deny housing to a person because of their race or where they come from," stated John Trasviña, Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. "When they do it is unacceptable and unlawful. The Fair Housing Act guarantees equal housing opportunities for all and HUD is committed to enforcing the law."
According to HUD's charge, the Hispanic woman and fair housing tester each attempted to rent a three-bedroom house owned by Parker, who is a licensed real estate agent, and Gibson.When Parker showed the Hispanic tester the home, Parker asked the woman why she wanted to live in a black neighborhood and remarked that it was not a good idea. After the woman expressed her interest in renting the house, Parker allegedly told her that she would have to consider it while she continued to show the house to other prospective renters.
FULL STORY at www.hud.gov/news/
HUD to investigate mortgage lenders who discriminate against expectant mothers and new parents
(WASHINGTON, July 21, 2010)
-- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced today that it will launch multiple investigations into the lending practices of certain mortgage lenders to determine if they illegally denied families mortgages because the mother is pregnant or a family member is experiencing a short-term disability. The action follows a report published this week in the New York Times outlining the lending practices of some lenders which might possibly violate the Fair Housing Act.
"Denying a mortgage to people just because they're having a baby is flat wrong," said Vice President Biden, Chair of the White House Task Force on Middle Class Families. "Mothers on maternity leave have jobs, they have income, and they shouldn't have to lose their deal to close on a house because they had a baby. I applaud HUD for taking action on this practice that could potentially affect untold numbers of families."
HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan said, "Lenders have every right to ascertain the incomes of families to determine whether they are eligible for a mortgage loan but they have no right to use a pregnancy or a short-term disability as a cause to deny that family a mortgage they would otherwise qualify for. Having a child should be a time for a family to celebrate and must not be a cause for unfair lending practices."
HUD enforces the Fair Housing Act which prohibits discrimination in lending based on sex, familial status (pregnancy or children in the family), or disability. The Act protects consumers from being discriminated against based on a borrower's maternity leave if the borrower can demonstrate that she intends to return to work and can otherwise continue to meet the income requirements to qualify for the loan.
FULL STORY at www.hud.gov/news/
Department of Justice prosecuting housing discrimination case
(MILWAUKEE, July 21, 2010)
-- A federal case involving a Walworth County landlord and a dispute over a handicapped parking space highlights a much larger nationwide effort by the U.S. Department of Justice to prosecute housing discrimination cases, officials said Tuesday.
The Recovery Act - signed into law shortly after President Barack Obama took office - allocated $13.61 billion to projects and programs administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, including enforcing discrimination claims.
"The Department of Justice has dramatically stepped up its enforcement of fair housing practices," said Justice Department spokeswoman Xochitl Hinojosa.
Since January 2009, the housing and civil enforcement section of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division had filed nearly 50 lawsuits and entered into 48 court-approved settlements nationwide, Hinojosa said.
FULL STORY at www.jsonline.com
Chandler housing subsidy dispute with woman settled
(CHANDLER, Ariz., July 20, 2010)
-- A single mother's allegations that Chandler wrongfully revoked her housing subsidy when she was a victim of domestic violence have been dropped under a legal settlement that requires the city to restore the woman's rent voucher.
Last year city housing officials terminated a federally-funded rent subsidy for Andreanna Brim, 35, a single mother of three, after she was found to have violated program rules by allowing her boyfriend, Ronell Napier, to live in the home.
Stan Silas, a Community Legal Services attorney who represented Brim, said his client was a victim of domestic violence, Napier was the alleged perpetrator, and he was not living in the home.
Silas said the city terminated Brim's housing subsidy when she asked that it be transferred to Los Angeles so she could escape the violence. The termination goes against provisions in the Violence Against Women Act of 2005 that protects tenants living in federally-subsidized housing, he said.
FULL STORY at www.azcentral.com
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